Requiescat In Pace
by Blue John
Summary: Thirteen years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry, Ginny and their three children will visit the place where Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape were buried. A mausoleum was also built there in the memory of all the people who fought Lord Voldemort.


Title: Requiescat In Pace Title: Requiescat In Pace

Author: Jon Cadierno

May was about to end and the warm wind was carrying with it a sweet aroma from the different flowers. The grounds surrounding Hogwarts were shining down the sunlight, what meant that the cold and rainy winter had finally come to an end. The lake was so calmed that it reflected the blue sky. As it was ten in the morning, nobody except Hagrid was walking in the grounds, so it was a quiet morning.

Nevertheless, Hagrid was not the only one in the grounds. Five people who had reached the place from Hogsmeade were walking peacefully while they enjoyed the sunny day. One of them was a tall, beautiful, red-haired woman who was quite pale and had lovely cinnamon-coloured eyes. She was carrying a two-year-old red-haired little girl who was looking amazingly at the big castle to her left. The little girl was constantly pointing at every strange thing and stammering amusing words which made the woman and the man behind them laugh. He was thin, black-haired and not very tall. Although he wasn't wearing round glasses, he had a very special characteristic: a lightning-shaped scar in his forehead that hadn't annoyed him for thirteen years. Holding his hand was a four-year-old kid, and he too was very interested in that big place. The fifth person was a seven-year-old boy who had decided to explore the grounds by himself and was approaching the lake. As he wanted to know everything about that fantastic place, he wouldn't stop making questions to his father.

However, the man couldn't answer him. He was looking at the enormous castle that had been built on a rock near the lake. ¿Could he ever forget its charm, its secret passageways, its bedrooms, the Great Hall or the Gryffindor common room? ¿Could he ever forget all his adventures with Ron and Hermione, which were still his best friends? Besides, most of those adventures had been for the good of the school. But the truth was that Harry Potter could never forget a happening that meant the end of the dark days inside the magic world. The bloody and decisive Battle of Hogwarts happened exactly thirteen years ago, the last confrontation between death eaters and good-defenders that ended with the death of Lord Voldemort. That day would be unfortunately remembered as the one when lots of friends died while trying to stop the enemies and therefore, trying to stop what would be a cruel government. Those brave fighters weren't there any more so that they could look at a future they helped to build, far from any tyranny. That was, in fact, Harry's and Ginny's reason for coming to Hogwarts in the memory of all those brave people thirteen years later. They had come to every anniversary because they thought their dead friends deserved the biggest of the respects. Harry and Ginny survived and they were now trying to create a new era where equality would reign. They almost died in that terrible battle, because they fought bravely. They couldn't forget all those friends, the ones they loved: Remus Lupin, Tonks, Fred Weasley... and lots of schoolmates and their own relatives. Not only them, but brave and brilliant men like Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody died trying to fight the Dark Lord. So did others who happened to be important ones in the whole plot and risked their lives. This was the case of Severus Snape, the man who Harry hated until the very end because he thought he was on the dark side. Harry consoled himself thinking that he had finally had the opportunity to know what Severus Snape had been.

The five of them walked near the lake until they reached an emotive place. The white tomb of Albus Dumbledore was shining down the sunlight. The three children, who had never been in Hogwarts and didn't know almost anything about what had happened thirteen years ago, stared at the marble tomb curiously. Harry took one of the branches of white flowers that Ginny had been picking up in the grounds and left it on the great crypt. He stared at it for a few seconds. He could still notice the blue of the old headmaster's eyes. He finally turned towards his wife and smiled at her, and Ginny smiled back and nodded. Near the place where Albus Dumbledore lied was another grave with a headstone that had been placed between the legs of a magnificent black marble dragon. These words had been engraved on the headstone:

_Here lies_

_SEVERUS SNAPE_

_1960-1998_

_We will all remember your great courage_

Ginny put her little daughter down and approached the black tomb with another branch. She kneeled down in front of the grave and left the branch on it. Harry hugged her and he stared at those words. The eldest brother, James, walked towards a mausoleum behind the two graves. Harry, Ginny and the youngest children followed him as far as the entrance of the place. Nobody had been buried there, but it had been built in the memory of all the defenders of Hogwarts. About fifty names could be read in one of the walls, all of them known by Harry and Ginny. Both of them took each other's hand and read the endless list. Their children were in front of them, but they didn't know what the meaning of being there was. They'd soon understand that their father's name was known by every witch and wizard in the world, and that he had also been, together with Ginny, Ron and Hermione, one of the heroes of the great battle.

Ginny gave a branch of white flowers to each child, so that they could leave them carefully in the mausoleum. The three of them somehow knew that this act was very important for their parents, so they thought they should make an effort for them. Ginny raised her wand and made a shower of white petals cover the mausoleum. They spent some minutes before leaving the place.

Little Lily Potter ran after her brother James. They had just seen one of the squid's tentacles emerge from the water and they'd run towards the edge of the lake. The second brother, on the other hand, had noticed again on something that had attracted his attention since the beginning. He looked at Dumbledore's white grave, then at Snape's black one. Harry and Ginny, who were on their way towards the castle, turned and immediately understood why their son was son interested in the tombs. Both of them agreed that that was the best moment to explain their son the origin of his special, significant name. Ginny told Harry he was the most suitable one to explain it all, so she went with Lily and James and left him with their son. Harry approached him and kneeled down so that he could be nearer.

It's true that you called me like this thanks to these two men, isn't it? -asked Albus softly.

It's nice to know you've discovered it by yourself, Albus. These men were the most intelligent and the bravest ones I've ever known. Albus from the greatest wizard in the world, and Severus from the person I ended admiring the most. If only you'd known them. You'd have learned a lot from them. You'll soon understand why I respect these two men so much.

Did mum know them too?

Everyone knew Albus Dumbledore. He was the headmaster when mum and I were at school. Severus Snape was one of our teachers. Did you know that I did hate Snape? I always thought he was on the dark side... But all of us were wrong.

Harry looked at his son and caressed his cheeks. Albus' little face was so innocent that Harry couldn't help smiling.

Do you want us to go to Hagrid's for tea and some cake? He'll tell you loads about Hogwarts.

But, what if I don't like his cake? You told me his cakes weren't very delicious...

Haven't I told you what Ron, Hermione and I used to do when the cake wasn't delicious?

They did their way towards Hagrid's hut while Harry made Albus laugh. They caught up with Ginny, Lily and James and went up the hill. Harry and Ginny stared at the beech tree were they had kissed each other. They'd never forget those evenings next to the end of the summer term, when they walked next to the lake holding their hands and laughing. Both Harry and Ginny smiled when they realised how lucky they were. They had continued with a love that had been interrupted during dark days, when Harry had decided to protect Ginny. Thirteen years later, he knew that he couldn't live without her, the woman who had given him the most wonderful days of his life.


End file.
